Construction member



July 28, 1942. c. G. MUENCH 2,291,171

CONSTRUCTION MEMBER Filed July 28, 1941 Patented July 28, 1942CONSTRUCTION MEMBER Carl G. Muench, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to CelotexCorporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application Julyas, 1941]; Serial No. 404,322

Claims.

This invention relates to a construction member used in buildingconstruction and in particular relates to a corner member used inconnection with the application of the so-called insulated brick siding.sulated brick siding comprises a fiber insulation Generally speaking, in

board base member on a surface of which there is secured a surfacingsheet or applied a coating in which is embedded suitable granules tomore or less simulate the appearance-and texture of brick, and providedin one way or another with a simulation of mortar joints outliningindividual brick faces. In some cases, instead of such facing simulatingbrick, it is made to simulate stonework or the like.

In thepast in connection with various of the insulated brick sidings,the corner members that are used to carry the construction aroundcorners have given trouble, due to the fact that commonly the surfacesimulating coating applied has been applied to the fiberinsulating-board base sheet while fiat, the such sheet subsequentlybeing bent or folded to provide two diverging sides at right angles, oneto the other. It has been common that when these comers are bent orfoldedin their formation for the outer surface coating to moreor lesscrack over the fold, which is detrimental to the appearance ofthematerial and is also a disadvantage in use in that such a crank mayallow access of the elements to the fiber insulating board base sheet,causing deterioration thereof. I

The invention is disclosed'in particular in connection with a rigidcorner unit asabove referred to, designed particularly for use inconnection with insulated brick siding, but of course, it will beunderstood that a corner unit embodying the invention hereof, may beused in connection with surface coverings other than insulated bricksiding One of the objects of the invention is to provide a corner unitas above generally described, which will be weather proof and fireresisting and which may have anlattractive decorative surface of suchdesign and configuration as it maybe desired to provide thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a corner unit of thegeneral character described, that may be produced economically, is ofrugged construction and is resistant to the deterioration, which hasbeen more or less common, arising from the cracking ofthe surfacingmaterial directly over the corner as was above mentioned.

A still further object is to provide a. rigid corner either as anoverlay or may be applied in the same planes as those ofthe surfaces ofan in-- sulated bricksiding installation connected by such cornermembers. I

A still further object of the invention'is to provide a method-ofmanufacture of the corner units of this invention, which will producesuch 7 units without the cracking of the surfacing material over thecomer-fold and according to which method, the units may be rapidlyproduced with a minimum of equipment and labor.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will appearupon reading the following specification, wherein the construction andthe method of manufacturing of the cornerunits hereof are setout indetail. I

In the drawing accompanying this specification;

Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a'corner unit; 7

Figure 2 is a cross section through a base sheet prepared for succeed nsteps in the manufacture of a corner unit, and Figure 3 is adiagrammatic illustration of the steps involved in the manufac-' ture ofthe comer units.

used to designate like parts. 7

In the drawing an insulatingbrick siding corner member is illustrated inFigure 1, comprising a fiber insulating board base In, on the outer faceof which is' applied a surfacing H. Thesurfacing l I, as illustrated,represents brick work and is obtained through adhering suitable granularmaterial-:to the outer face of base l0. adhered granular materialcomprising surfacing II has provided therein suitable mortar jointlines; so that surfacing comprises a simulation of brickwork. So farasthe specific nature of the granular. material adhered to base 10 toprovide the-surfacing II is concerned, it is relatively immaterialinthis description, but it will of course, be understood that the granulesare to be selected so that-the appearance which is desired for thefinished product may be ob- V7 tained.

It is 'of'course, immediately apparent on view- 7 ing Figure 1, that thecorn-er member comprises two portions arranged in rightangle relationex- 7 tending outwardly from a common apex to form illustrated as a 90corner, that the inventions disclosed in connection therewith areapplicable unit of the type described, which may be applied to cornermembers for other than corners,

The i course, be understood that the side edges may be suitablyshiplapped, or that if desired, the complemental edges may instead ofbeing shiplapped, be'provided with any other suitable closing Joint, asfor example, with complementing tongue and groove joints;

In manufacturing one of these corner units, the preferred constructionand method of manufacture is as follows:

The base sheet for the unit, a fiber insulating board II, isapproximately centrally of its width grooved at i5, and on its otherface opposite groove I5, provided with a small groove I. The function ofthe grooves and It will become apparent as the description of themanufacture of the unit progresses.

After the sheet or fiber board III has been grooved, as above described,it is then preferably passed through an asphalt bath by suitably dippingor conveying of the sheet in a pan or tank of molten asphalt.

The, asphalt used for this purpose is preferably one of 120 :to 140 F.,M. P. (ring and ball, A. S. T. M. method) and which has a penetration ofabout 180 to 200 mm. (100 g., 5 sec., '17 1"'., A. S. T. M. method).

In dipping the base sheet III in asphalt, as described, the time elementshould be such that the base I II is given what is termed a surfacesaturation with asphalt, that is thetime of immersion should besufficient that the asphalt can penetrate into the surface of the baseIII, but insufilcient for the penetration to progress appreciablythroughout the fiber board. The preferable penetration is one whereinthe surface portion of the base sheet III is well saturated, but withthis saturation not extending into the sheet more than approximatelyfrom the exterior uncut broad face of the sheet. In connection with sucha saturation along the edges where the sheet of fiber boardhas been cut,and at the grooves l5 and I, at which points the structure of the boardis moreopen than on the broad uncut faces, the penetration will besomewhat greater, in general .twice the penetration of that at the broaduncut faces.

In theprocess of dipping the base sheet [0 in the asphalt bath, as abovedescribed, due to the fact that a portion of the thickness=of the basesheet It has been cut away by theprovision of grooves i5 and I6. andfurther because of the greater penetration of the asphalt at these cuts,the base sheet II will be more heavily saturated in that portion betweenthe grooves l5 and i6, and in fact, it is preferred that the saturationshall be sufficient that at and between grooves suitable manner, but forthe purposes-of the diagrammatic illustration hereof, there has been ure3 of the drawing, and in connection with which the various steps of theprocessing are as follows:

A blank Ill, surface saturated as above described, is placed on asuitable conveyor or the like 20, which may carry the blank through thefollowing processing steps.

The blank III is placed on the conveyor 20 with that face having rooveI6 therein being exposed upwardly, the face with groove l5, being ofcourse, consequently facing downwardly. To the upper face of the blankthere is applied an asphalt coating which is preferably a somewhatharder asphalt than that with which the surfaces of blank l0 have beensaturated, and which asphalt coating may comprise asphalt of 180 F., M.P. The asphalt coating may be applied to the upper surface of the basesheet Ill in any shown an asphalt discharge pipe 2!, which dischargesmolten asphalt .on the top surface of the blank I0, whereupon theasphalt may be squeegeed or spread over the surface, of the blank as itpasses under the knife 22 of a knife coater, which is a well known pieceof equipment used for applying various coatings to various sheet formmaterials. It will be noted that in' applying the surface coating of theasphalt to the upper face' of the'base sheet M as described, that grooveII will be'filled withthis coating, that is, at groove it, the coatingwill have an extra thickness, due to the fact that groove it has beenfilled with the asphalt.

After the asphalt coating has been applied, as just described, suitablegranular or gritty material maybe discharged'onto the surfaces of this.set out'are substantially identical with the various steps normallyemployed by various manufacturers of insulating brick siding units andare also being substantially those commonly used in I5 and ii the fiberboard sheet shall be saturated ber in accordance with the diagrammaticillustratlon of the processing as such appears in Fig- The porthemanufacture of roll roofing. It is believed that the various steps arewell known to those having knowledge of the art, and therefore thedescription of these steps of the processing have been given only in thebriefest manner.

After the various steps of the processing as above described, and whilethe surfacing llv on. the thus far fiat base sheet, I0 is still warm andsoft, the blank is subjected to a further operation to form the desiredcorner base with sides or legs outwardly diverging from a common apex,as is may be a fiat sheet II Of board or other suitable materialhavingon the upper surface thereof, suitable restraining members, parallel andspaced apart, such restraining members being indicated by numbers 32.For any specific corthe grooves l and l6,the completely saturated,portion 11 serving as a hinging connection. As

the sheet is folded to its proper form, the other edge of sheet ID willbe entered behind the other restraining member 32, and as will beunderstood, the folded cornerstrip will be thereby held and retained init proper form.

Attention is directed to the fact that when the base member 10 is foldedas has been described, it is apparent, the surface of sheet l0, havingbeen removed by the provision of groove l6, that there will be nosurface fibers of sheet Ill at this point to be pulled apart from oneanother directlyunder the outer comer of the folded corner piece.Instead, since there has been provided an excess thickness or reservoirof the coating asphalt provided by the provision of groove [6, and thisasphalt is still soft, it follows that there is merely a tendency forthis asphalt to fiow slightly as the bend is made with a consequentslight thinning of the thickness of the coating at this point, butwithout any tendency for cracking.

The particular advantage of the method of formation of the corner pieceas has been de-' scribed, is the avoidance of the tendency of thebasesheet H! to crack, at its outer face as the fold is made, withoutgroove l6 having been made in that face. Also due to the fact that thebase sheet ID has been saturated throughout at its thin portion 11, thisportion tends to serve as a hinge when the sheet is folded rather thanto allow a sharp break which would occur if this saturated hingedportion were not provided. It

will of course,v be understood that the deeper groove l5 which was cutinto the face or the base sheet ID on the side opposite of the groove I6, enables one to fold the sheet H) in accordance with the above.

The corner member after it has been folded, as

7 above described, may then be set aside or carried along on theconveyor and cooled, and if desired, a reinforcing strip of fabric orsuitable asphalt saturated felt, and indicated at 35, may be suitablyadhered in the interior of the fold of the otherwise completed cornermember, and such strip 35 if applied, serves as an addedreinforcement,'as will be well understood.

So that the most important advantage of the improvement comprising theinvention hereof may be clearly understood, attention is directed to thefollowing:

The base sheet I0 ordinarily used in making insulated brick siding andof course, likewise used in making corner members therefor, is fiberinsulation board generally /2" in thickness. In th past, corner membershave been made either by cutting a suitable V notch into the back of asheet, such cut extending entirely through the sheet excepting theoutermost face portion thereof, 'or in the manufacture of cornermembers, such have been made from two separate pieces of fiberinsulation board with complemental edges suitably beveled to provide forthe desired angularity of the finished corner member. Where the cornermember has been made from a sheet provided with the V notch extendingsubstantially through the sheet, it has been common that as the cornerwas folded, thefibers at the outersurface would pull apart andc0nsequently would pull apart th asphalt surface coating to form a crackin the granules or like surface material embedded in th asphalt coating;such crack appearing directly at the apex of the corner.

In making a corner member from two separate .pieces of the base sheetIII with these pieces complementally beveled and provided on theexterior with a joining and hinging tape or the like, it has been commonthat when folding such to form corner members, the asphalt surfacecoating and-embedded granule material are attenuated directly over theapex of the corner with the consequent formation of a crack directlyover the apex. V

In the construction hereof, due to the provision of groove l6, there isprovided directly over the apex of the corner what might be termed areservoir ofthe asphalt coating, and as the corner member is folded thisreservoir, provided with what might be termed a cushion, provides areservoir of the coating asphalt, which reservoir of asphalt, as thecorner is folded, tends to be, in effect pushed out of the recess due tothe action of the hinging portion H to compensate for attenuation in thesurface coating, which would otherwise tend to crack over the apex ofthe fold were this reservoir of the asphalt coating not provided. By theutilization of the invention,

hereof, it has been found possible to make strong and rigid cornermembers which show no tendency to crack over the apex of the corner, andthese corner members have in use proved much superior to brick sidingcorner members made by other methods.

It is, of course, understood that while fiber insulation board has beenparticularly mentioned as the base material for this corner member,'thatother suitable sheet form material may be used, and that whereas asphalthas been particularly referred to as the surface saturant for the basesheet, and as the coating in which the granules surfacing material isembedded, that other suitable substances, such as various pitches andthe like may be substituted therefor, and that-other like substitutionsin connection with the manufacture of the brick siding corner membersmay be availed of without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The invention hereof having been described in detail, what I claim is:

1. A building corner member comprising a fiber board sheet bent toprovide two legs diverging from a common apex, the fiber board portionsforming the two legs connected by an integral thinned portion of thefiber board sheet substantially completely saturated with a plastic andconstituting a hinging connection bet-ween the two leg portions.

2. A building corner member comprising a fiber board sheet bent toprovide two legs diverging from a common apex, the sheet at the bendhaving a shallow recess extending inwardly from one face, and a deeperrecess extending inwardly from the other face, the recesses opposite oneanother forming an intermediate portion, the intermediate portionthereof forming a hinging connection connecting the two diverging legs.

3. A building corner member comprising a fiber board sheet bent toprovide two legs diverging from a common apex, the sheet at the bendhaving a shallow recess extending inwardly from one face and a deeperrecess extending inwardly from the other face, the recesses opposite oneanother forming an intermediate portion, the intermediate portionthereof forming a hinging connection connecting the two diverging legs,the hinging connecting portion substantially saturated with anasphaltic: material.

4. An insulating comer member comprising a fiber insulating sheet bodyportion providing two legs diverging from a common apex, the outer faceof the corner member coated with a plastic and having surfacinggranules'adhered thereto, the outer surface of the sheet body relievedalong the common apex and an extra thickness of plastic at the apex.

whereby a corner member com-prising leg portions divel'irlnafrom acommon apex and connected by a thin hinging portion is formed.

CARL G. MUENCH.

